The Vehicle

Despite the cooler season, it's never too late for a trip to the countryside. As the saying goes, "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing", the right equipment is particularly important when camping. In this respect, the Hymer Concept Car "VisionVenture" does a lot right. The aim of the project was to design a camper which, in collaboration with BASF, focuses on innovative materials, lightweight design and high camping standards. Designed for the year 2025, this vehicle is now being used to implement many ideas regarding lightweight construction.

The Technology

Three major measures were the use of innovative materials, innovative manufacturing processes, and innovative lightweight concepts. The materials used combine sophisticated looks such as thin natural stone tiles with plastic base layers to make kitchens and bathrooms homelike. This composite is now one millimeter high, lightweight, flexible and easy to process. 20 of these lightweight and functional materials are installed in the vehicle and are equally convincing with heat radiation, good cleaning or multifunctionality. The manufacturing process is based on 3D printing, which provides a rubber-like robust structure in the area of the fender, which is beneficial in offroad applications and also saves mass.

However, the most innovative feature seems to be the integrated roof tent, which promises maximum lightweight potential with optimum rigidity thanks to its inflatable structure. The honeycomb pattern, inspired by nature, represents the ideal shape here against lateral loads. The lightweight construction heart then beats higher only when functional integration takes place in the lightweight concept. By blowing warm air into the wall structure of the roof tent, an additional insulation effect can be created here, which is why camping can still be done here without hesitation even in the fall.

The Lightweighting Effect

In general, the aim of this project with research partner BASF is to show what is possible. Concrete figures on the weight reductions achieved compared to ordinary campers are not available. However, it must be balanced in this discussion between lightweight construction and comfort, since the focus was certainly to realize maximum optical and spatial comfort with low additional weight. With this in mind, the technologies and images are convincing in any case and make you want to go on an autumnal trip.